Akron to offer all students free breakfast, lunch

AKRON, Ohio (AP) -- A large northeast Ohio district will provide free breakfasts and lunches for all students starting next school year under a new option in the national school lunch program.

Akron already offers free breakfasts for all students and free lunches for elementary students. The Akron Beacon Journal (http://bit.ly/MnAahg ) reports the school board decided this week to provide free lunches for middle and high school pupils.

It's taking advantage of a new option in Ohio and other states that helps cover meal costs and no longer requires individual applications for free and reduced-price lunches in low-income communities. Half of the students in Akron's program had automatically qualified for free lunches because they get food stamps or other government aid.

The district expects to save money because it won't be processing program applications.